Aerogel mat and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a mat containing aerogel and to a mat manufactured using this method. A method of manufacturing a mat containing silica aerogel according to an aspect of the invention includes: (S1) producing a wet gel by mixing water glass and alcohol in a reactor; (S2) modifying a surface of the wet gel by adding an organic silane compound and an organic solvent to the reactor and mixing; (S3) separating a upper liquid from a solution in the reactor and impregnating a fibrous matrix with the upper liquid; and (S4) drying the fibrous matrix impregnated with the upper liquid. According to an aspect of the invention, a mat containing silica aerogel can be manufactured using only water glass as raw material, even when applying the drying process in an ambient environment, without using expensive materials or supercritical apparatus.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of manufacturing a mat containing silica aerogel, the method comprising:
 (S1) producing a wet gel by mixing water glass, an acidic solution, and alcohol in a reactor; 
 (S2) modifying a surface of the wet gel by adding an organic silane compound and an organic solvent to the reactor and mixing; 
 (S3) separating an upper liquid from a solution in the reactor and impregnating a fibrous matrix with the upper liquid; and 
 (S4) drying the fibrous matrix impregnated with the upper liquid. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, methanol, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the acidic solution comprises one or more acids selected from the group consisting of chloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and acetic acid. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alcohol is mixed in 0.33 to 1 parts by volume per 1 part by volume of the water glass. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of isopropyl alcohol, hexane, heptane, xylene, cyclohexane, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the organic silane compound is selected from the group consisting of trimethylchlorosilane, hexamethyldisilazane, methyltrimethoxysilane, trimethylethoxysilane, ethyltriethoxysilane, phenyltriethoxysilane, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein in said step (S2), the organic solvent is mixed in 1 to 10 parts by volume per 1 part by volume of the wet gel, and the organic silane compound is mixed in 0.1 to 4 parts by volume per 1 part by volume of the wet gel. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step (S4) comprises a first drying step, of drying the upper liquid at a temperature between normal temperature and a point at or below a boiling point of the organic solvent, and a second drying step, of drying the upper liquid at a temperature between a boiling point of the organic solvent and 300° C.